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Technical Notices

Regulation banning the use of heavy oil in the territorial sea of Iceland- 0.1% SECA

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The Government of Iceland and the Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources has issued a regulation tightening fuel requirement, which effectively bans the use of heavy fuel oil in the territorial sea of Iceland. The regulation is intended to promote improved air quality in harbours and coastal areas and conforms with the government’s coalition agreement and climate action plan.

The change is brought about by an amendment to the regulation on Sulphur content of certain liquid fuels. The permissible Sulphur content of marine fuels used in the territorial sea and internal waters of Iceland will be lowered from 3.5% down to 0.1% on January 1, 2020. This will make requirements for the Sulphur content of marine fuels in the territorial seas of Iceland comparable with those that are currently in effect in Emission Control Areas as defined by Annex VI of MARPOL, where particularly strict requirements apply.

In addition, on January 1 2020, the permissible Sulphur content of marine fuels will be lowered down to 0.5% within the Icelandic Pollution Prevention Zone but outside of the territorial sea. This is in conformity with the requirements of Regulation No. 124/2015 on the Sulphur content on certain liquid fuels and Iceland’s international obligations according to Annex VI of the MARPOL convention which Iceland ratified in February 2018.

However the Icelandic government further announced that vessels can still continue burn heavy fuel oil, in case that they use exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers to reduce the release of sulphur dioxide.

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